Britain’s Rail Network Today

Britain’s Rail Network Today
Author: Adam Head
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2023-01-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1398106178

A wonderful photographic record, with many previously unpublished images, of the nation's rail scene.

Tracing Your Railway Ancestors

Tracing Your Railway Ancestors
Author: Di Drummond
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2010-06-15
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1844686701

Di Drummond's concise and informative guide to Britain's railways will be absorbing reading for anyone who wants to learn about the history of the industry and for family history researchers who want to find out about the careers of their railway ancestors. In a clear and accessible way she guides readers through the social, technical and economic aspects of the story. She describes in vivid detail the rapid growth, maturity and long decline of the railways from the earliest days in the late-eighteenth century to privatization in the 1990s. In the process she covers the themes and issues that family historians, local historians and railway enthusiasts will need to understand in order to pursue their research. A sequence of short, fact-filled chapters gives an all-round view of the development of the railwaysIn addition to tracing the birth and growth of the original railway companies, she portrays the types of work that railwaymen did and pays particular attention to the railway world in which they spent their working lives. The tasks they undertook, the special skills they had to learn, the conditions they worked in, the organization and hierarchy of the railway companies, and the make-up of railway unions - all these elements in the history of the railways are covered. She also introduces the reader to the variety of records that are available for genealogical research - staff records and registers, publications, census returns, biographies and autobiographies, and the rest of the extensive literature devoted to the railway industry.

Great Britain's Railways

Great Britain's Railways
Author: Colin Maggs
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 459
Release: 2018-10-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1445670305

Explore a highly illustrated and comprehensive look at the story of 400 years of Britain's railways.

The Railways

The Railways
Author: Simon Bradley
Publisher: Profile Books
Total Pages: 607
Release: 2015-09-24
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1847653529

Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2015 Currently filming for BBC programme Full Steam Ahead Britain's railways have been a vital part of national life for nearly 200 years. Transforming lives and landscapes, they have left their mark on everything from timekeeping to tourism. As a self-contained world governed by distinctive rules and traditions, the network also exerts a fascination all its own. From the classical grandeur of Newcastle station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the mysteries of Brunel's atmospheric railway to the lost routines of the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of Britain's railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians' private compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world. Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime, of tourism and the changing world of work. The Railways shows us that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time as well as space.

Fire and Steam

Fire and Steam
Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2008-05-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1848872615

Now in paperback, Fire and Steam tells the dramatic story of the people and events that shaped the world's first railway network, one of the most impressive engineering achievements in history. The opening of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of the railways' vital role in changing the face of Britain. Fire and Steam celebrates the vision and determination of the ambitious Victorian pioneers who developed this revolutionary transport system and the navvies who cut through the land to enable a country-wide network to emerge. The rise of the steam train allowed goods and people to circulate around Britain as never before, stimulating the growth of towns and industry, as well many of the facets of modern life, from fish and chips to professional football. From the early days of steam to electrification, via the railways' magnificent contribution in two world wars, the checkered history of British Rail, and the buoyant future of the train, Fire and Steam examines the social and economical importance of the railway and how it helped to form the Britain of today.

British Civilization

British Civilization
Author: John Oakland
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2010-12-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1136859101

Reviews of the previous editions: ‘John Oakland is the doyen of civilization studies.’ British Studies Now ‘This is a first rate, lucidly written text.’ G.E.C. Paton, Aston University ‘Suitable above all because it covers so many areas of contemporary institutions ... a useful reference work.’ Patrick Leech, University of Bologna ‘Strikes a balance between providing up-to-date information and being a source of general reference.’ Anne K. Bjørge, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration ‘An excellent presentation of the British economic and political/institutional system.’ J. Condriou, Université de Provence ‘A perfect tool and source for class activities.’ Borek Sousedik, Tobos ELTR, Czech Republic The seventh edition of this highly-praised textbook has been substantially updated and revised to provide students of British studies with the perfect introduction to Britain, its country and people, politics and government, education, economy, media, arts and religion. It includes: discussion of recent developments and areas of topical interest in British society such as immigration, the recession, devolution and Britain’s relationships with the US and the EU, and coverage of the 2010 election new full colour illustrations exercises and questions to stimulate class discussion insights into the attitudes of British people today towards important issues updated suggestions for further reading and useful websites a fully updated companion website featuring further exercises, links to relevant articles and videos online, and quiz questions. British Civilization is a vital introduction to the crucial and complex identities of Britain. For supplementary exercises, questions and tutor guidance, go to www.routledge.com/textbooks/oakland

The Privatisation of British Rail

The Privatisation of British Rail
Author: Sean McCartney
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2023-05-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000880966

The privatisation of the British railway industry was a unique political and economic event. An integrated industry was broken-up into numerous component parts and sold off to private sector interests. The result was a highly fragmented industry that was structurally unsound and operationally dysfunctional. This authoritative volume presents an enlightening portrait of an industry that is less efficient, more costly and still more dependent on state subsidy today than its nationalised predecessor. The nine chapters in this work present a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of how and why the industry has become so dysfunctional and costly, supported by detailed financial analysis and industry examples. Seven chapters comprise a series of peer-reviewed academic papers by Professor McCartney and Dr Stittle and published in leading international journals over the period 2004–2017 which analyse selected key segments of the privatised industry: where appropriate, updates are provided at the end of these chapters outlining developments since initial publication relevant to the analysis therein. Two chapters are published here for the first time: Chapter 7 reviews the performance of the freight sector, while Chapter 1 ‘bookends’ the volume by providing first, an account of how rail privatisation was conceived and implemented in the 1980s/90s, and then reviews the impact of the pandemic and the proposals of the Williams-Shapps White Paper of 2021 which, if enacted, will effectively end the Major government’s experiment. Going far beyond the usual superficial analysis of the topic, this volume will be of significant interest to researchers and advanced students of accounting, economics, business history, transport studies, as well as industry and specialised business interests in transport and privatisation.

Britain's Railways Through the Seasons

Britain's Railways Through the Seasons
Author: David Goodyear
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2023-01-31
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1399086537

The four seasons pass by like a gliding ship, each signalled by a transformation of changing colors and hues of light, thus providing a form of marker to these passages of time. Living in the temperate zone we experience four distinct seasons. The railway scene reflects such in its own special character - cold winter air enhances the bountiful steam escaping from the hissing steam locomotive impatiently awaiting its departure, while autumn enchants with trees that exude a variety of hues which embellish any image of even the most mundane suburban train. Springtime blossom and wild flowers bestow railway cuttings with a bounty of generous bright colors while coastal railways often look most inviting on warm sunny days as they pass alongside azure seas and golden beaches. The seasons each add their own dimension for the photographer to encapsulate, and railways passing through the ever-changing landscape provide their own tribute to this inspirational tapestry. As readers travel through each season, so they are invited to share this awe and constant source of inspiration from nature's kaleidoscope of color. Photographs are provided with captions and reflective commentary to enlighten the knowledgeable rail enthusiast alongside those who equally enjoy such a portrait of landscape and scenery through the seasons. The range of photographs ranges from the mid -1980's to the present with the majority from the last two decades.

British Railway Disasters

British Railway Disasters
Author: Robin Jones
Publisher: Mortons Books
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2019-12-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

This is the story of how Britain’s railway disasters, horrific though they may be, change the network for the better through the crucial lessons that are learned. It starts with fatalities on early mining tramways before the dawn of the steam age and takes the story up to the present day. While many of Britain’s worst tragedies are covered in depth, such as Quintinshill in 1915 and Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952, the book also looks at others that had resounding consequences for safety.

Government, the Railways and the Modernization of Britain

Government, the Railways and the Modernization of Britain
Author: Charles Loft
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2006-09-27
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1135773661

This work explains the background to, and politics behind, the infamous Beeching Report, which recommended the closure of a third of Britain's railways.